The idea of cooking fresh mackerel for three hours may sound like culinary madness, but I assure you this recipe is a corker. You'd think the fish would fall apart, but it keeps its shape beautifully. It ends up richly infused with the highly aromatic sauce, and so tender you can eat the bones. Serves six to eight.

Choose a heavy-based pan, big enough to hold all the fish in a single layer, and place over a medium heat. Add the oil, chilli, ginger and garlic. Cook until the garlic just starts to colour, then remove from the heat.

Arrange the mackerel in the pan - they should be packed in closely, with few or no gaps between them. If you can get only large fish, cut them in half (straight across, not lengthways) to make them fit more snugly. Pour over the soy sauce and vinegar, sprinkle on the sugar, then pour on enough apple juice just to cover the fish.

Return the pan to the heat and bring it up to a simmer. As soon as you see the simmer beginning, turn down the heat so it doesn't boil fast. Cook it, covered, at a very gentle, popping simmer, for three hours. Don't let it boil and don't be tempted to move the fish until the three hours are up. Then remove them from the cooking liquid, set aside and keep warm.

Strain the cooking liquid and return it to the saucepan. Turn up the heat and boil until it is reduced by one third. Taste, and adjust the seasoning to your liking - the sauce should be hot, sweet, sour, fruity and salty all at the same time, so tweak the amount of chilli, sugar, vinegar, apple juice and soy as you see fit.

Arrange the fish on a pile of noodles and/or some steamed greens (spinach or pak choi). Pour over the sauce and serve. If there are any fish left over, they are delicious cold.